WINDY CITY PUBLIC GOLFER 2019 REVIEW

I spent 2019 exploring every nook and cranny of Chicagoland Public Golf, spanning from Highland Park and Deerfield to the north, Joliet and Channahon to the south and Elgin and Bristol to the west, playing 729 holes and visiting 33 different courses along the way.  The good, the bad and the in between are all included, but this is Chicago so the "bad" bucket is pretty empty!  Here is what I found during the journey...

CLASSIC COURSES RARELY GROW OLD

Two historic Chicagoland courses followed the lead of Ravisloe from a decade ago and opened their doors to the public golfer.  Calumet and Joliet Country Clubs both date back to the early 20th century and are linked to acclaimed designers from that era, Donald Ross and Tom Bendelow.  Joliet is hidden off Spencer Road a few miles south of downtown Joliet and until a few years ago I had no idea where it was, while Calumet is in full glorious view along I-80 near the Dixie Highway exit. Both courses offered public play for the 1st time in 2019 on a limited basis, with preference given to members.

Financial reasons played a part in leading each club down the public access path, and the feeling I got when I played each course was that Joliet was fully engaged in the transition, while at Calumet it was quite a bit more painful.  However, both courses provided the classic golf experience that would be expected at these historic clubs and I thoroughly enjoyed my rounds and plan to play there again in 2020.  The future is a little cloudy at Calumet as the property has been for sale so don't wait too long to play one of the few Ross designs open to the public in Chicagoland.

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY

2019 was a difficult year for Windy City golfers and courses, as headlines like "Chicago Rainfall Tops May Record" were all too common.  In total, the accumulated precipitation was 49.54 inches, the 3rd wettest year recorded, just a fraction below the 50.86 inches in 2008.  By my count I had close to 10 rounds either canceled or shortened due to the weather, and several courses were closed for periods due to flooding from the heavy downpours.  I won't soon forget a round at the end of June at Chalet Hills when a sunny day quickly turned ominous as thunder storms blew in from the north on the 13th tee and we were in a race to finish the round (which I wanted to do as I was playing well) before the storms hit.  We made it to the 18th tee before the skies opened, an all to often occurrence last year.

CHANCE ENCOUNTERS AT THE COURSE

But another rain out morphed into a chance encounter that became one of my favorite rounds of the year.  After a rained out morning round at the back end of a trip to Galena in late May, the rain cleared and on the ride home I decided to stop in Bristol for an afternoon round at Blackberry Oaks.  I played the first 3 holes alone before another single caught up on the 3rd green.  We paired up on the 4th tee and after a birdie and a couple of booming drives it was apparent that this was not your average golfer.  I asked him if he was a scratch golfer and he said he was a "+1".  Turns out I was playing with Jason Johansen, former Assistant Pro at Phillips Park in Aurora and the winner of the 2016 Aurora City Tournament.  OK, he's not Tiger Woods but he was certainly the most skilled player I ever shared a tee box with, and he was a good guy who made an average round something special for this 20 handicapper.

TRIPLE PLAY TRIANGLE

I played Foxford Hills, Chalet Hills and Prairie Isle in 2019.  Why is that notable?  These 3 courses in and around northwest suburban Cary are within 4 miles of one another and I can't think of 3 courses of this quality in such close proximity.  Foxford and Chalet are better known throughout the Windy City area and have pedigreed architects behind their designs (Dick Nugent and Ken Killian respectively), while Prairie Isle was the vision of Gordon Cunningham, who spent most of his career

west of the Mississippi in Iowa and whose other Chicagoland work included the now closed and very average Woodbine.  But he hit a home run with Prairie isle, incorporating thick woodlands, marshes and elevation change into an inviting layout that walks the fine line between challenging and playable.  All 3 are very good courses at affordable price points (I played each for under $50 w/cart) and are highly recommended.



EVERYONE LOVES A DEAL

I'm always on the prowl for those special deals that occasionally pop up, and there were a few that I jumped on.  Here is a list of the 5 best I found in 2019:

Deerpath (Lake Forest) - An under the radar north shore course is a fun layout that is an easy walker, and they offered a weekend rate of only $29 after 10 am if you skip the cart ($49 to ride), a fantastic price for this neighborhood.  I made the drive from Lemont twice to take advantage of this super summer deal.

Chevy Chase (Wheeling) - An April visit to the north suburbs for a spring rate of $25 at another walker friendly course with a rich history.

Bowes Creek (Elgin) - A highly regarded semi-private club were I paid an early afternoon April rate of $38 with cart at a course that regularly charges $90 in the summer.

Wedgewood (Joliet) - My favorite of the 3 Joliet Park District courses, changes required after land was sold for commercial use reduced the course to a par 71 and added some interesting edges.  The summer late morning rate w/cart was a budget friendly $45, but I saved $17 to walk and felt good about myself, too!

Village Links of Glen Ellyn - Grab 3 friends and head to the West suburbs to play what I consider a top 5 Windy City public golf experience.  The Happy Hour deal of $120 for a foursome to walk is exceptional.  We decided to ride, but $50 on a Labor Day afternoon at this course is a top value.

ROAD TRIPS

In addition to the annual visit to the beautiful Galena Territory and the spectacular courses at Eagle Ridge, I also played in Colorado and Arizona in 2019.  The July trip to the Boulder area included a round at Flatirons, a very nice muni, and at Copper Creek, located at the ski resort of the same name in Frisco.  Although Copper Creek offered amazing views of the Rockies, the course was most memorable for having the highest tee box in the United States (just a few feet short of 10,000).

My November trip to the Phoenix area included 4 rounds at a range of price points, but one constant I found is that the higher up into the mountains usually comes with a higher greens fee.  The highlight was at the Victory course at Verrado in Buckeye, a new Tom Lehman design that winds through the foothills of the White Tank mountains in the west metro region, and the view from the 18th tee was amazing. The afternoon round at nearby Sundance was just nearly as fun and at a fraction of the cost.  For $38 w/cart, I found a really good layout in excellent condition after the fall over seed, with a friendly and accommodating staff. I've played close to 40 different courses in Phoenix and Sundance is my top value play, giver it a try the next time you're in the Valley of the Sun.

THE ELUSIVE ACE

I still haven't recorded my first hole-in-one, but I came oh so close in 2019.  The 5th hole I played in the year, an early April round at Heritage Bluffs in Channahon, was almost a perfect way to start the season, as a 5 iron stopped within 2 inches of the cup.  A 2nd near miss was in late August at Old Oak.  A 3 wood on the long par three 4th hole landed just short of the green and rolled all the way toward the back pin placement  and I was waiting for the yellow Srixon to disappear into the cup. It turned out that it passed within a hair of the hole

and ended up a tap in length behind.  I'll keep telling myself it's only a matter of time before it happens, but one thing I know for sure, the more I play the better the odds! See you on the course in 2020...

Jim Zuccarelli
Windy City Public Golfers Guide